What Do You Think of This?

M.O.W. has enjoyed reading many of the year-in-review articles around the interwebs largely because many of them actually pass judgment about the people and events of the year and we like to read about what other people think of things--even if we don't agree.

(As an aside we wrote our first essay when we were eight years old comparing the founding fathers to Voltaire: "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." In case any of you were wondering how M.O.W. became obsessed with founder-stalking, this fact might provide a clue)

M.O.W. thought that one of the more interesting year-in-review lists appeared over at The BEAST and that this, in particular, was an interesting comment (on the "most loathsome of the year"):

9. You

Charges: You believe in freedom of speech, until someone says something that offends you. You suddenly give a damn about border integrity, because the automated voice system at your pharmacy asked you to press 9 for Spanish. You cling to every scrap of bullshit you can find to support your ludicrous belief system, and reject all empirical evidence to the contrary. You know the difference between patriotism and nationalism -- it's nationalism when foreigners do it. You hate anyone who seems smarter than you. You care more about zygotes than actual people. You love to blame people for their misfortunes, even if it means screwing yourself over. You still think Republicans favor limited government. Your knowledge of politics and government are dwarfed by your concern for Britney Spears' children. You think buying Chinese goods stimulates our economy. You think you're going to get universal health care. You tolerate the phrase "enhanced interrogation techniques." You think the government is actually trying to improve education. You think watching CNN makes you smarter. You think two parties is enough. You can't spell. You think $9 trillion in debt is manageable. You believe in an afterlife for the sole reason that you don't want to die. You think lowering taxes raises revenue. You think the economy's doing well. You're an idiot.

Exhibit A: You couldn't get enough Anna Nicole Smith coverage.

Sentence: A gradual decline into abject poverty as you continue to vote against your own self-interest. Death by an easily treated disorder that your health insurance doesn't cover. You deserve it, chump.

Yet, at the beginning of 2007 Time declared YOU their most influential "Person of the Year." 2007 was supposed to be YOUR year, what happened? M.O.W. finds this all very confusing.

Now, many of you know of our deep seated love of the people. We are the champions of the people. We have spent a great deal of time and energy thinking about the people and their role in the government. We have devoted our career to figuring out exactly how and why the people do not have political power in a government that claims to be "democratic." We are ego-involved in loving the people, it is who we are.

Yet, we are more than a little persuaded by The BEAST here. And, as ever, we wonder what our friends think. We know that some (many) of you do not share our love for the people. We know that many of you like that democracy is not democratic for you believe that the people are a rabble and you fear the demagogues who control them. Yes, we've heard this from you before...

We fear that we might be beginning to agree with you. What if M.O.W. becomes a people-hater too? Who will be left to love the people if we give up? Maybe we are just grumpy and need a nap.

What do you think founder-stalkers: are the people the cause or the cure for what ails America today? And, why wasn't 2007 YOUR year? Or, was it?